Category: Brands and Companies

All Brands and Company Names

Sony Launches the Xperia Z5 and Z5 Premium in India

Sony today launched the Xperia Z5 and Z5 Premium smartphones in India starting at Rs. 52,990 and Rs. 62,990, respectively. The devices were first unveiled along with the Xperia Z5 Compact at the IFA Berlin last month. However, the Z5 Concept is yet to come to India.

Sony Xperia Z5 Premium 52 — Sony Xperia Z5

So, getting right into the main selling point of the Z5 Premium, which is its 5.5-inch 4K display. The Z5 Premium is the world’s first 4K display smartphone and comes with a bigger 3430 mAh battery than the Xperia Z5. The rest of the specs of the two phones are pretty much the same.

Sony Xperia Z5 Premium 11 — Sony Xperia Z5 Premium

The Sony Xpreria Z5 features a 5.2-inch full HD screen and 2900mAh battery. Both the devices run on Android Lollipop 5.1, powered by a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810 chipset with Adreno 430 GPU, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage (expandable to 200 GB). The devices also come with a 23MP primary camera and 5MP front, and a fingerprint scanner in the power button on the side of the device.

Images are captured on the Xperia Z5 Premium are quick and look sharp, thanks to the 4k display. The in-body image stabalization that we were able to test also looks fantastic.

The front of the device has BoomSound-styled dual speakers that are loud and gives a crisp, well balanced sound.

The Xperia Z5 has a matt finish that looks great. The Z5 Premium, on the other hand, has a glossy finish and will be available in Gold or Chrome. The Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Premium will be available in both single SIM and dual-SIM variants. Have a look at the specs of both the devices below.

Specification	Sony Xperia Z5	Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
Display	5.2 inch display Full HD with Gorilla Glass 4	5.5 inch 4K Ultra HD with Gorilla Glass 4
Resolution	1920 x 1080p, 428ppi	4k – 806ppi
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 810	Qualcomm Snapdragon 810
Processor	Octa Core – 64 bit	Octa Core – 64 bit
GPU	Adreno 430	Adreno 430
RAM	3GB	3GB
Storage	32GB internal memory	32GB internal memory
Expandability	Up to 200 GB via MicroSD card	Up to 200 GB via MicroSD card
Rear Camera	23MP sensor, F2.0 G Lens, 1/2.3 Exmor RS	23MP sensor, F2.0 G Lens, 1/2.3 Exmor RS
Rear Camera Video	4k	4k
Front Camera	5MP	5MP
Front Camera Video	1080p	1080p
Battery	2900mAh battery with Quick Charger feature	3430mAh battery with Quick Charge
Operating System	Android 5.1	Android 5.1
Connectivity	4G LTE, Single SIM and Dual SIM	4G LTE, Single SIM and Dual SIM
Miscellaneous	Fingerprint sensor, Colours: White, Graphite Black, Gold and Green	Fingerprint sensor, Colors: Gold and Chrome
Price	Rs. 52,990	Rs. 62,990

October 21, 2015

BlackBerry Priv Rumoured to Cost Rs. 50,000 in India

Though BlackBerry Priv is marked at a price of $630, latest rumours suggest the smartphone would cost around $780 (over Rs. 50,000) in the country.

Zauba informs us that four BlackBerry Privs have been recently imported to the country for testing and evaluation purposes. The site shows them marked at a price of $780. Though this doesn’t necessarily mean that this will be the final price of the device in India, we can assume it to be a rough estimate.

Priv will be BlackBerry’s first phone to run on the Android OS and is viewed by many as a comeback for the company in the tech world. It would be sad to see a price tag which discourages eagerly awaiting customers from getting to lay their hands on the phone.

Priv will have a slide-out keyboard feature and a curved display that is reminiscent of Samsung’s Galaxy S6 Edge. Registration for the device has already begun on the official website, along with a few officially confirmed specs put up as description. They include a 5.4 inch screen, 3410 mAh battery and Schneider-Kreuznach certified camera. Watch this space for more updates on the BlackBerry Priv.

October 21, 2015
Apple Says No To Revealing Personal Details of Users to Cops

Apple drops a not-so-subtle reminder once again and says it cannot and will not reveal personal details of iPhone users to cops. It started with iOS 8 when Apple made it clear to law enforcement that it’s incapable of retrieving data from locked iPhones.

It was at the invitation of the U.S. Magistrate Judge James Orenstein and the Justice Department that Apple was asked to help extract information from a seized iPhone. The invitation led to the filing of the following brief by Apple:

In most cases now and in the future, the government’s requested order would be substantially burdensome, as it would be impossible to perform. For devices running iOS 8 or higher, Apple would not have the technical ability to do what the government requests—take possession of a password protected device from the government and extract unencrypted user data from that device for the government. Among the security features in iOS 8 is a feature that prevents anyone without the device’s passcode from accessing the device’s encrypted data. This includes Apple.
Apple is essentially confirming what we already know: there’s no backdoor built into iOS, meaning that in theory no-one can pull data off an iPhone running iOS 8 or later—the information is protected by encryption that is tied to the user’s PIN.

However it should be made clear at this juncture that because Apple refuses to dirty its hands with the deep, dark secrets of your phones, this in no way means that others can’t. When iOS first came out with its ‘improved’ security, security researcher Jonathan Zdziarski did a blog post revealing how some user information can still be grasped by the government.

Apple is being the knight in tin foil for iPhone users, promising security as well as discretion, which is a comforting gesture, needless to say. However, let it not mislead you into believing that your iPhone is beyond security breaches and access to personal data.

October 21, 2015

HTC Officially Unveils the One A9 and it Looks Pretty Neat

HTC has finally lifted the veil off their newest smartphone, the One A9. We had already seen some leaks of the rumored handset that suggested an iPhone 6-like design and now it can be established that the rumours were true. The HTC One A9 is indeed an iPhone 6 look-alike, and that may not be such a bad thing. For one, it comes as a good alternative to the high-end iPhone 6s as HTC CEO Cher Wang said so herself. The other fact, whether you would like to admit or not, is that there are Android fans out there who still admire the iPhone when it comes to design and creativity.

The event began with HTC’s Jason Mackenzie taking a dig at Apple’s iPhones having a lot of restrictions with what one can do with a phone, as well as commenting on Android’s bloatware. He then presented a video introducing the One A9. Next up was the designer who spoke about the the inspiration behind the phone, taking cues from the One M7, especially in the antenna front. The phone also “draws on the natural beauty around us by using rich, striking colors and unique finishes – an approach called “metalmorphics.” The dual finish is brushed with hairline detail and bread blasted before the sides are polished. The device is available in Carbon Gray, Opal Silver, Topaz Gold and Deep Garnet.

HTC has worked closely with Google in bringing the best of Android to the smartphone. The HTC One A9 is the first non-Nexus device to come pre-loaded with the Android 6.0 Marshmallow. And the company has cut down on preloaded apps, opting for a purer Android experience.

The official specs of the phone are pretty much the same as what leaks have suggested. The One A9 sports a 5-inch Full HD AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 with 1080 x 1920 resolution, a fingerprint sensor, 13-megapixel rear camera with low light OIS and also features a Hyperlapse editing tool. and a 4MP Ultrapbixel front and f/2.0 aperture. Nothing in the processor was revealed during the launch so you’ll have to wait a little longer for that but it is likely that the handset will feature a Snapdragon 617 processor.

On the design front, the HTC One A9 has a curved, aluminium unibody design with oblong SIM and MicroSD tray and plastic antenna lines at the back similar to the iPhone 6. It is also rightly pointed by HTC fans that Apple has previously taken cues from HTC, so this iPhone-like design levels the field. It also makes sense if you think about it. Yes, it is a blatant iPhone rip-off but it’s possibly a part of the company’s strategy. HTC knows that the iPhone 6 is one of the best-selling handsets around, and it just wants to bank on the same magic. But at a $399 price tag, we’re not sure whether consumers would go for the iPhone-ish One A9 or would rather spend a little more and go for the actual iPhone device.

The HTC One A9 is big on sound as well. The phone boasts of amazing sound quality, with HTC BoomSound integrated into the headset combined with Dolby Audio surround technology.

The One A9 will begin rolling out globally from the first week of November. HTC will offer a special unlocked edition in the U.S, and will ship with less pre-installed software. The price of the handset stands at $399.

So without further ado, here’s the spec table of the HTC One A9. Some specs were not revealed during the launch and will be added once official details are out.

Specs	HTC One A9
Display	5-inch Full HD AMOLED with 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Resolution	1080 x 1920 resolution
Processor	Snapdragon 617 64-bit octa-core processor
GPU	Adreno 405
RAM	2 GB/ 3 GB
Battery	2,150 mAh
Storage	16 GB/ 32 GB
Primary Camera	13MP with low light OIS
Secondary Camera	4MP UltraPixel, f/2.0 aperture
Expandability	MicroSD up to 2 TB
OS	Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Price	$399

October 20, 2015

Galaxy S7 To Have Superior Sound Quality and Magnesium Alloy Body

With rumours of Samsung Galaxy S7 coming out in January doing the rounds, there are speculations about the specs as well that have been going around for a while now. While it’s expected to have ClearForce technology, similar to 3D Touch, Type-C USB port is another feature expected to be part of the phone.

The latest rumour to develop regarding S7 is a magnesium alloy body made of glass. This is expected to make the device sturdy and improve the over-all touch and feel of the phone. The smartphone is also rumoured to come equipped with better sound quality because of SABRE 9018AQ2M chip by ESS Technology, and a 129 dB signal-to-noise ratio. S7 will probably also support formats like DSD and PCM p to 32-bit and 384 KHz. This will allow users to have the same sound experience streaming music on the phone as they do from its analog counterpart.

These rumours have surfaced at a time when Samsung is possibly working on an acquisition of Tidal, Jay-Z’s music streaming service. Therefore the in-built chip of Galaxy S7 will only serve as a complementary feature and help the flagship fare well in the market. Watch this space as we bring to you more latest updates on Samsung Galaxy S7.

October 20, 2015
OnePlus X to Launch in India on 29th October

It has been confirmed that OnePlus X is coming to India on 29th October. Leaked specs of the device had been doing the rounds for a while now until Oppomart finally confirmed some of them in a brief listing. The confirmed specs include a 5-inch full HD screen and 1920×1080 pixels display. The chipset is Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, along with a 2.5 GHz processor.

On the camera front, the phone is equipped with a 13 MP rear camera and an 8 MP selfie camera. OnePlus X will have 3 GB RAM and 16 GB of internal storage as well. The phone is marked at a price of $249 which is about Rs. 16,000. The phone is also rumoured to feature Force Touch technology, something quite similar to the 3D Touch of iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

Watch this space for more updates about the OnePlus X, and sit tight until the 29th of this month when the Chinese company finally makes its newest device official in the country.

October 20, 2015
Apple iPad Mini 4 is Now Available in India

The Apple event last month not only saw the unveiling of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, but also two new iPads. The iPad mini 4 and iPad Air Pro continue Apple’s tablet legacy and now the iPad mini 4 has reached the Indian market.

The device is available for purchase from online retailer Infibeam at a starting price of Rs. 27,077 for the 16 GB Wi-Fi variant, and Rs. 38,900 for the 16 GB Wi-Fi+Cellular version. It also comes in 64 GB and 128 GB variants. The price tag is the same as last year’s iPad mini 3, and the mini 4 also sports a similar 7.9-inch Retina Display with 2048×1536 resolution. However, the iPad mini 4 has some new additions that include Apple’s A8 chip with M8 motion co-processor and Touch ID fingerprint sensor.

Other specs include an 8MP iSight 1080p primary camera and 1.2MP HD front-facing camera. It comes with a 5124mAh lithium-polymer battery with up to 10 hours of web surfing on Wi-Fi, video and music playback. The iPad mini 4 will, of course, run on iOS 9.

The iPad mini 4 comes in Silver, Gold, and Space Grey colours. You can purchase the tablet from Infibeam right now or wait for the device to hit other online and offline retailers. You can use the promo code CARNIVAL6 for a discount of 6% (up to Rs. 2000) on the iPad mini 4 on Infibeam. The Wi-Fi version will ship with 2-3 working days while the Wi-Fi+Cellular versions will take 4-6 days to reach you. No word yet on when the iPad Air Pro will launch in India.

October 20, 2015
Samsung Galaxy S7 Could Launch in January

According to reports that have emerged from South Korea itself, Samsung is expected to launch its new Galaxy S7 in January. Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge had been unveiled in March this year. Therefore it’s assumed that the next Samsung flagship would hit the markets at least an entire month before March next year.

This news comes in the wake of other companies having released their own flagships over the past couple of weeks. Samsung is likely to be facing the pressure of the competition, especially by the likes of the new iPhones, launched last month.

Furthermore, it is rumoured that there will be two variants of S7 -premium and sub-premium -designs which had already been finalised in September. The processor and modem is expected to be on a single chip for the premium model’s Exynos chipset, while on different ones for the sub-premium model.

Leaked information have also mentioned three different chipset variations used in the Galaxy S7, along with 3D Touch-like features and a USB Type C port. Sit tight until we get more updates on Samsung’s newest smartphone.

October 20, 2015
Apple Music Has Over 15 Million Users Now

Apple Music has been growing since its inception back in June. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently gave an update on how people are taking to the new music streaming service, and he feels delighted, to say the least. “It’s going really well,” he told Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Gerard Baker on stage at WSJD Live. “Fortunately, lots of people are liking it.”

There are over 15 million users right now with 6.5 million users already paying for the service and the rest still enjoying the 3-months free trial period. After the trial period users have to pay $9.99 for individual subscriptions or $14.99 for families. In India, it costs Rs. 120 per month for individual subscription and Rs. 180 for families after trial period ends.

Given the number of users – both paying and non-paying – on Apple Music right now, the service is getting closer and closer to Spotify, which has over 20 million paying users.

The free-trial for June users ends this month. So October is the first month Apple has started collecting payments. There are people still joining the service for the first time this month. Apple Music has seen mixed opinions from people. There are those who especially love the curated playlists offered in Apple Music, while others are happy staying with Spotify.

October 20, 2015
Apple Removes Over 250 Apps That Accessed Personal Information of Users

In an attempt to up its security, Apple got rid of over 250 apps from its App Store. These apps were using a software developed by a Chinese firm called Youmi which allowed them access to the user’s personal details like email address and the serial number of their smartphone. According to sources, the apps received a total of 1 million downloads.

The apps which relied on Youmi’s SDK, mostly made by companies and firms based in China, may not have willingly or knowingly violated Apple’s secutrity. As is backed by SourceDNA’s blog post:

“We believe the developers of these apps aren’t aware of this since the SDK is delivered in binary form, obfuscated, and user info is uploaded to Youmi’s server, not the app’s. We recommend developers stop using this SDK until this code is removed.”

This security issue was brought to light by SourceDNA when they were updating their own product called Searchlight. Searchlight inspects the security and checks apps for security violations. SourceDNA later on went ahead to comment in their blog post, “We’re concerned other published apps may be using different but related approaches to hide their malicious behavior.”

Apple on the other hand, issued the following statement:

“We’ve identified a group of apps that are using a third-party advertising SDK, developed by Youmi, a mobile advertising provider, that uses private APIs to gather private information, such as user email addresses and device identifiers, and route data to its company server. This is a violation of our security and privacy guidelines. The apps using Youmi’s SDK will be removed from the App Store and any new apps submitted to the App Store using this SDK will be rejected. We are working closely with developers to help them get updated versions of their apps that are safe for customers and in compliance with our guidelines back in the App Store quickly.”

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”https://sourcedna.com/blog/20151018/ios-apps-using-private-apis.html”]SourceDNA[/tw-button]

October 20, 2015
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Concept Images Reveal a New Realm of Innovation

How does a brand behind the S6 Edge and S6 Edge+ continue to innovate after coming out with curved displays that blew its competition away? Of course, we’re talking about Samsung here. We all know that the company is working on its next flagship, the S7. And every little detail about the upcoming phone is welcomed by tech enthusiasts all over. The biggest question on everybody’s mind is how Samsung is going to better itself with the S7.

We have already seen a curved display on the side. So perhaps it’s only logical that the company might curve the screen from somewhere else. How about the top and bottom for a change? Some concept images posted by 3DFuture on its blog show what could be Samsung’s next design. And it looks as sleek as it does futuristic.

Samsung has filed design patents and folks at 3DFuture have released images based on those patents. There is no guarantee that the S7 Edge will follow this design, but visuals are always welcomed. The image above and below reveal a sleek, sharp design where the edged display take the top and bottom position now. The concept also shows no hint of a home button while the volume buttons on the side remain intact. The rest of the design with a full metal unibody oozes style and luxury.

While you take a few minutes analysing the images, we would also like to let you know about other rumours going around. It is likely that Samsung is working on a 3D Touch feature that will be seen in the upcoming flagship. The concepts also support rumours of a fully metallic unibody. Other features could see a 5.8-inch display, UHD resolution, 4GB RAM, and Snapdragon 820 chipset and Exynos processors for East Asian markets.

We will bring you more details on the Galaxy S7 as it comes. Let us know what you think of the concept design in the comments below.

October 20, 2015
Priced Over 12 Lakhs Canon EOS C300 Mark Arrives in India

Canon’s second generation Cinema EOS 4K camera system for cinema, documentary, event and commercial videography has been launched in the country today. The camera includes a range of 15 stops, improved Dual Pixel CMOS Autofocus, focus assist engineering and CFast recording technology. The EOS C300 Mark II is redesigned with user input that helps it to deliver flexibility for professional studio motion picture production applications, as well as independent productions, TV dramas, commercials, news features and sports among other things.

Mr. Andrew Koh, Vice President of Consumer Imaging and Information Center, Canon India said:

“As a technology innovator, it is important for Canon to add valuable assets to the portfolio and create an industry benchmark. After extensive research and user inputs, we developed the EOS C300 Mark II Digital Cinema Camera that promises to deliver improved image-expression capabilities as well as operability, ruggedness and expandability”

Key features of the device include Canon EF or PL mount versions which supports a variety of autofocus modes, including continuous AF and Face Recognition when used with compatible Canon EF lenses. Further, the device integrates an 8.85 Megapixel Super 35mm 16:9 CMOS sensor that supports 4K (DCI) recording with a maximum resolution of 4096 x 2160 pixels. It is also compatible with new and existing EF-mount lenses.

Canon EOS C300 Mark is priced at a not-so-less Rs. 12,99,000. For more information, click here.

October 19, 2015
Indian Engineers Part of the WARF Team Which Sued Apple and Won

The recent lawsuit between Apple and Wisconsin Alumnae Research Foundation (WARF) ended in a penalty of $234 million for Apple. Wisconsin University had sued the tech-giant over the use of patented chips in iPhones and iPads. You can find the whole story here.

The Wisconsin University team which sued Apple has two Indian engineers as part of it. Professor Gurindar Sohi and Terani Vijaykumar are members of the group which pursued legal action against Apple for the infringement of a patent they had developed.

It was ruled out by a jury court on Tuesday, that Apple had used technology in the processors of its devices which had originally been developed by Professor Sohi and Vijaykumar and two others. While WARF had asked for a penalty as high as about $862 million, it was brought down to $234 million.

Both Indian-origin professors are pass-outs from the Birla Institution of Technology and Science in Pilani, Rajasthan and currently teach at the University of Wisconsin Madison and Purdue University in Indiana, respectively. Mr. Sohi is a professor of computer sciences while Mr. Vijaykumar teaches electrical and computer engineering.

“This work has been recognized as a major milestone in the field of computer microprocessor architecture/design,” said Sohi.

The legal case against Apple had begun in April last year. Another such case has happened last month where WARF sued the company once again over patent infringement. The latter case is yet to reach a conclusion.

October 19, 2015
Here’s How You Can Jailbreak Your iOS 9 iPhone Or iPad

Jailbreak for iOS 9 is now official thanks to the team at PanGu. For the uninitiated, Jailbreak is what you do when you want more from your operating software. Jailbreaking allows for more customization of your device and gives you apps that are otherwise not found in the app store. Jailbreak for iOS is especially useful because Apple has a tougher screening process when it comes to the apps it selects for the App Store.

The name suggests that this is something that can involve some risks. With jailbreaking, you are in fact changing the way your iPhone or iPad functions in certain areas and you also have access to features that Apple has not incorporated. So, jailbreaking does come with its own set of risks, and it’s always advised to backup your data in iTunes before you proceed with jailbreaking your iPhone or iPad.

How to Jailbreak iOS 9:

1. Download an anti-bug/ bug-fixing app

Jailbreaks often have some bugs. Before jumping straight to jailbreaking your device, you should download a tool that fixes the various bugs. So the first thing you want to do is download Pangu’s jailbreak tool.

2. Back up your device

While your tool downloads, you can use the time to backup your iPhone in iTunes. You need a fresh install of iOS 9.0.2 and set up your device as a new device to apply the jailbreak. So, you need to download iOS 9.0.2 through your PC via USB. It is advised that you shouldn’t download through Wi-Fi as that may cause some issues. Once you’ve backed up your device, click ‘set up as new iPhone’.

A couple of more steps before you begin jailbreaking require you to switch off ‘Find my iPhone’ and Wi-Fi, disable passcode and switch to airplane mode.

3. Follow the instructions running on the PanGu tool

Run the PanGu tool and the program will tell you if your phone is ready. Follow the instructions clearly when the program begins. After about 50 percent, the device will restart and you will have to unlock your phone and enable airplane mode once again as well as click on the PanGu icon on your device.

4. Watch out for the Cydia icon

You’ll know your jailbreak has worked when you see the Cydia icon in your device. If it’s there it means you’ve had a successful jailbreak and you may proceed to restore your backed up data. Once you restore your data, all your files will be there including Cydia.

5. Restore your device and check out the tweaks

There are some pretty neat tweaks offered here. A tweak called Universal Force brings the latest 3D Touch feature to your older devices. You won’t get the full features of the 3D Touch, though, but what Universal Force does offer is that it gives you the peek and pop functionality for your apps, pictures and mail. You can press and hold on a picture in your gallery for a quick peek along with options to Copy, Share, Favorite or Delete the picture all from your Photos grid.

A Better5IconDock tweak lets you have 5 icons in your dock rather than just 4. So there is extra room to add your most frequented app.

Finally, CCSettings for iOS 8 gives you one of the best tweaks where you can now have a ton of different toggles in your Control Centre rather than the traditional 5 limit. There are loads of other tweaks that give your iPhone and iPad some flavour and some fun features to play around with.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_self” link=”http://www.forbes.com/sites/antonyleather/2015/10/18/how-to-jailbreak-your-ios-9-ipad-or-iphone/3/”]Forbes[/tw-button]

October 19, 2015
Oppo Launches R7s With 4 GB Ram and 5.5-inch Display

Oppo has revealed it’s newest R7 phone at the GITEX event in Dubai. The phablet is called R7s and boasts of features like 4GB RAM and a 5.5-inch 1080p AMOLED display covered by 2.5D glass.

The chipset is Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 and the internal storage is marked at 32 GB with a microSD card slot. The two cameras of the phone include a 13 MP for the main camera and an 8 MP for the selfie camera. R7s runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop with ColorOS 2.1.

Physical measurements of the phone are as follows -151.8 x 75.4 x 6.95 mm, along with a battery of 3,070 mAh. The phone is expected to arrive in Australia and in a handful of Asian countries next month. In December, it will be made available in Europe and the United States. Availability and pricing for India is currently unknown. We’ll update you as soon as we have more details.

October 19, 2015